Hip, Hip, Hurrah!, Peder Severin Krøyer (1851–1909)
Champagne Day
Aug 4
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
“Remember, gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s champagne!” –Winston Churchill
According to the famous champagne maker Moët & Chandon, hot, dry harvest seasons produce aromas of spicy, nutty flavors like sandalwood, praline and marzipan, while wet harvest seasons produced floral bouquets with hints of vanilla, honey and almond!
Champagne Reel
Today is International Champagne Day!
Legend has it that the champagne making process was invented by Dom Pérignon, a monk and cellar master at the Benedictine abbey in Hautvillers in 1693.
He is said to have exclaimed as he tasted the drink, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”
Although technically, to be called champagne, the grapes used must come from Champagne region and the sparkling wine must be produced under the rules of the appellation, many countries now produce a specialty equivalent including Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, and Sekt from Germany.
Some interesting facts about champagne include:
-
A 100-milliliter (around 3.4 ounce) pouring of champagne will produce around 100 million bubbles before it goes flat in around four hours’ time.
-
Champagne as we know it is made of three grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. Varying ratios create unique flavors with Veuve Clicquot favoring Pinot Noir, whereas Dom Perignon is made primarily from Chardonnay.
-
Veuve Clicquot was a ground breaking brand. Not only did it revolutionize how champagne’s yeast is extracted, giving the drink its famous clarity, but it’s also credited as being the first champagne house to produce rose champagne by adding red wine during production.
-
if you drop a raisin into a fresh glass of Champagne it will go from the top to the bottom of the glass, and back up and back down, continually.
-
Though his famous drink of choice is a martini – shaken, not stirred – James Bond is actually seen drinking champagne more than 35 times in his films – more than any other beverage!
A Votre Santé and Sláinte!
For a description of the world's most expensive champagne, shipwreck champagne, click the popping cork below to learn about the retrieval of 167 perfectly preserved bottles of champagne in 2010 from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Despite the fact that the labels had long since worn off, branded images on the interior surface of the corks allowed the team to identify the original vintners. Several champagne houses were represented, including a 170 year old Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, a well-known brand founded in 1772 that still exists today.
A Votre Santé and Sláinte!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
